school services question

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone. My daughter's annual IEP review is coming up and I have a question

that maybe some of you could help with.

H is 4 and currently attending our district's preschool for kids with various

disabilities. She has global delays, but her main problem is speech. She has

a severe expressive delay. (apraxia probably due to seizures) Receptively, I

think she is ok but probably held back quite a bit because of the expressive

issues. She's got about 60 single words right now, and can do some 2-3 word

combos but that is very limited. Many of her words are not clear and some she

can say one day and not the next. Often she'll need prompting with at least the

initial sound, and even words she knows well, like Mommy and Daddy, she

sometimes has to " reach " for. She's doing great at repeating sounds and is

worlds beyond where she was at this time last year. However, at this point I

think it is time to look at giving her some other form of communication. I know

she has more to say and not being able to express it is frustrating for her as

well as us. Signing is my first choice, because it's an actual language so even

if she miraculously starts speaking in clear sentences the day after she learns

it, she is learning a language that she can use the rest of her life. Of course

I want to weigh all our options but I keep coming back to signing.

This is where my question comes in... When she started in her preschool class a

little over a year ago, her speech therapist made it clear that she felt sign

language would only hold H back and prevent her from trying to talk. H went in

knowing some basic signs from Signing Time, but early on the ST instructed

anyone who worked with H to not respond unless she attempted to make a sound as

well as a sign. This upset me initially, but I decided to give the ST the

benefit of the doubt (since she's been doing this a while and knows more than I

do) Now as our IEP meeting approaches, I know things need to change and I am

not sure the ST will agree with me, especially given the progress H has made

over the past year. So, I am trying to figure out what I can require of the

school. I would like to actively teach H (and our family) sign language so she

can finally communicate beyond the basics. Is this something I will have to do

on my own, or can I request that the school get her a sign language instructor?

I know they are legally obligated to provide whatever H needs for her education,

but being that H has no hearing issues, this may be something that they won't

see as a necessity.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!